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Gravitational field has energy, E field does not?

  1. Nov 1, 2011 #1

    csmcmillion

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    Watched a physics lecture yesterday in which the teacher stated that a G field has energy, but an E filed (due to the Coulomb force does not). This does not compute. Both fields have potential energy, yes?
     
    csmcmillion, Nov 1, 2011
  2. jcsd
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  3. Nov 1, 2011 #2

    Pengwuino

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    Gold Member

    Yes, that doesn't make sense. Are you sure that's what they meant?
     
    Pengwuino, Nov 1, 2011
  4. Nov 1, 2011 #3

    csmcmillion

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    Maybe not. The exact statement was "In an ordinary sense, electric charge is not energy, but gravitational charge is energy". So maybe I am misunderstanding the statement.
     
    csmcmillion, Nov 1, 2011
  5. Nov 1, 2011 #4

    nnnm4

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    Okay that clears it up. They are talking about the equivalence between mass and energy that comes out of relativity. There is no analogous equivalence for charge.
     
    nnnm4, Nov 1, 2011
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